Window washing device



United States Patent Office 3,492,685 WINDOW WASHING DEVICE Joseph H. Curzon, 1024 University Blvd., Silver Spring, Md. 20903 Filed Mar. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 715,330 Int. Cl. A471 l/08 U.S. Cl. --220 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair of magnets are arranged on opposite sides of a windowpane, and at least one magnet carries a cellulose sponge or other cleaning device dipped into detergent-com taining liquid. The magnet inside the building is moved over the area of the pane of glass and the outside magnet follows the inside magnet to cover the outer surface of the windowpane to wash it.

BACKGROUND OF TH'E INVENTION The invention relates to the field of window washing, which normally requires the hand washing of the outside of a window. This frequently is a very awkward operation, particularly in high-rise oiice buildings, it being necessary for the workmen to use a safety belt and chain when washing the window. Some devices have been developed which reach over the top of a window to wash the outside thereof, but such devices are quite awkward to Operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Two mutually magnetically attracted devices, usually comprising two horseshoe magnets, are adapted to be arranged on opposite sides of a windowpane. One or both of said magnetic devices is connected to a backing plate spaced from the window and supporting a cleaning element such as a cellulose or other type of sponge dipped in a detergent-containing liquid. A small partition is arranged on opposite sides of each magnet associated with a sponge to prevent the latter from coming into contact with the ends of the magnet. In one form of the invention, each of these partitions carries rollers engageable with the windowpane to prevent direct Contact of the magnet therewith which might result in the scratching of the glass. The backing plate is provided with openings through which the legs of the magnet project, and slide fasteners, carried by the backing plate, are movable into engagement with small slots in opposite edges of the magnet to retain the latter in position.

In the case of relatively light-weight devices for cleaning the window of a house, the rollers may be dispensed with and flat pieces of plastic may be adhered to the ends of the legs of the magnet to slide over the windowpane and prevent the scratching thereof.

If desired, the inner surface of a pane of glass may be hand washed, in which case an inside magnet, without the backing plate and sponge, may be moved over the inner surface of the windowpane to effect movement of the outer magnet with its sponge over the outer surface of the pane. A variety of mutually magnetically attracted devices may be used. For example, both magnets may be of the permanent type, preferably of alnico, may be employed. If desired, the inside magnet may be an electromagnet and the outside device may comprise an armature for such magnet to be attracted thereby to move its sponge over the outer surface of the windowpane. One of the magnets or armatures may be employed for wiping the outside surface of the glass, and such magnet will be provided with a resiliently urged squeegee movable over the outside surface of the glass by movement of an inside magnet. The inside glass surface, when washed, may be squeegeed by hand.

3,492,685 Patented F eb. 3, 1970 FIGURE 1 is a perspective view at a reduced scale of one type of device using an inside magnet without a sponge;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a pair of the devices, one inside and the other outside the pane of glass and both provided with Sponges;

FIGURE 3 is a face View of one of the devices with the magnet removed;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of one of the plates or partitions;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of one of the magnets or armatures;

FIGURE 6 is a section similar to FIGUR-E 2 showing plastic glass engaging elements instead of the rollers of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 7 is a face View of one of the squeegee devices, the glass being shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURE 1, the numeral 10 designates a window frame in which are mounted sashes 12 carrying windowpanes 14. The outsides of the panes are adapted to be washed by a device indicated as a whole by the numeral I6 and described in detail below. The inside device in this case is shown as a permanent magnet 18 adapted to be manually moved over the pane of glass to be followed in its movement by the magnet of the device 16, as described below.

In FIGURE 2, the device 16 is shown as comprising a backing plate 20 against the inner surface of which is adhered a cellulose or other type of sponge or cleaning element 22. The sponge is provided with a central elongated opening 24. therethrough (FIGURE 3) for a purpose to be described. Within the area of the Opening 24, the backing plate 20 is provided with two rectangular openings 26, each adapted to receive the legs of a magnet or armature 28. Where an electromagnet is used inside of the window, as described below, the device 28 may be a soft iron armature; otherwise, it will be a permanent magnet, such as one made of alnico. Remote edges of the legs of the element 28l are provided with slots 30 for a purpose to be described.

Against the outer face of the backing plate 20 is arranged a pair of guides 32 slidably supporting platelike slides 34, the inner ends of which are engageable in the slots 30 to maintain the magnetic element 28 in position with respect to the backing plate.

At each end of the opening 24 is arranged a small partition 36, each having a bent end 38 welded or otherwise secured to the backing plate. The other end of each partition 36 is provided with curved ends 40 serving as bea-rings for a roller 42 adapted to engage against the outer surface of the windowpane I4. When so engaged, the rollers 42 prevent direct contact of the ends of the legs of the element 28 with the surface of the glass to prevent scratching the latter.

Inside of the glass is arranged another cleaning unit indicated as a whole with the numeral 44, all of the elements of which, except the magnet 48, may be identical with the unit 16. All parts common to the devices 16 and 44 have been indicated by the same reference numerals. In this case, an electromagnet 48 is employed having a coil 50 wound thereon and provided with a lead-in 52. The body of the magnet 48 is also of the horseshoe type. As stated, Vwhere an electromagnet is used, the element 28 may be merely an armature for the magnet. Where the magnet inside the window is of the permanent type, such as the magnet 18 (FIGURE l), it is preferred that the device 28 also be a permanent magnet with the north and 3 south poles of each magnet arranged opposite, respectively, the south and north poles of the other magnet.

The device shown in FIGURE 6 is intended to be lighter and smaller in construction than the device in FIG- URE 2. For example, it is particularly intended for washing the windows of houses. In this case, the inside and outside devices may be identical, each including a backing plate 54, a permanent magnet 56, xed in position by slide fasteners 58, and each backing plate is provided with a sponge 60 as previously described. In this case, the ends of the magnet poles are provided with flat, relatively thin plastic sheets 62 adhered thereto to engage the glass and prevent the metal of the magnet ends from scraping the glass. These plastic pieces take the place of the rollers 42 previously described. In this case, partitions 64 will be used to hold the sponge end portions from the magnet and the bearings 40 are eliminated therefrom since no rollers are used. If desired, the inner unit in FIGURE 6 may eliminate the sponge and associated elements in which case a magnet by itself will be used in cooperation with the outer magnet 56.

In FIGURE 7, a squeegee device has been illustrated in which an outside magnet 66 is provided with brackets 68 supporting rollers 70 to prevent direct contact of the magnet against the glass. A resilient arm 72 is fixed in any suitable manner at one end as at 74 to the magnet, and a squeegee 76 is provided at the free end of the arm 72. The squeegee may be secured to the arm 72 as at 7S, for example by any convenient type of snap fastener.

OPERATION Any suitable part of the outside backing plate 20 may be provided with a cord (not shown) by which the outer unit may be placed in position relative to the outer surface of the glass. The outer unit may be placed in position by hand by lowering the upper sash 12, for example, and holding the outer unit against the glass with one hand until an inner unit is placed in proper position against the outer unit. The use of a cord is desired in any event to prevent the dropping of the outside unit from any cause.

It will be understood that before placing the outer unit in position in FIGURE 1, the sponge of the unit will be dipped in detergent-containing liquid. Movement of the inner magnet 18 over the inside surface of the glass will cause the outside unit to follow the inside unit over the area of the glass to effect the washing of the outside surface thereof. In the form of the device in FIG. 1, the magnet 18 will be of the same type as the magnet 66, having rollers attached thereto to prevent direct con* tact of the magnet 18 with the glass.

In the form of the device shown in FIGURE 2, both Sponges 22 will be dipped in a cleaning liquid and placed in position relative to each other as in FIGURE 1. The insulated coil 50` may be used as a handle for moving the inside magnet over the inside surface of the glass. If all portions of the inside surface are cleaned by the inside sponge, it follows that all portions of the outside surface will be cleaned by the outside sponge. The cleaning operation having been completed, the outside unit 16 will be retrieved and brought into the inside of the building whereupon one of the devices shown in FIG. 7 may be employed in conjunction with any type of inside magnet to squeegee the outside surface of the glass. A cloth may be placed under the squeegee 76 for a nal wiping operation.

The operation of the form of the device in FIG. 6 is identical with that of the lform of the device in FIG, 2.

The parts are lighter, and accordingly, the plastic strips 62 may be employed to prevent direct contact of the magnet with the glass, the rollers 42 being eliminated.

As previously stated, two magnetically attracted devices may be employed, of any desired types. For example, both of these devices may be of the permanent type, made, for example, of alnico, or one electromagnct may be employed as in FIG. 2 with the other device constituting an armature for the electromagnet.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved window washing device which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

What is claimed is:

1. A window cleaning device comprising a pair of units respectively inside and outside the windowpane, and comprising mutually magnetically attracted elements whereby movement of the inside element will cause the outside element to follow its movement, at least the outside unit comprising a single cleaning element of substantial area mounted for movement with the outside magnetic element so that when the cleaning element has been dipped in cleaning fluid, it will wash the outside surface of the windowpane in movements controlled by movement of the inside magnetic element, at least the outside unit comprising a flat backing plate to which said cleaning element is xed, said plate forming the sole support for said cleaning element, the associated magnetic device being generally of horseshoe shape and said backing plate having openings through which thc legs of said magnetic device project into close proximity to the glass, and means for releasably fixing said outside magnetic device solely to said backing plate, said means comprising a pair of platelike slide fasteners mounted against the outer face of said backing plate, opposite edges of said outside magnetic device having elongated slots receiving the ends of said slide fasteners.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said cleaning element is provided with a central elongated opening in which the legs of said outside magnetic device are arranged, and partition walls at the ends of said central opening carried by said backing plate to space said cleaning element from the ends of said magnet.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein each partition wall is provided with a roller engageable with the glass surface to prevent direct contact of the legs of the associated magnetic device with the glass.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein the inside magnetic device comprises an electromagnet, the outer such device comprising an armature for such magnet.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said outside cleaning device comprises a squeegee resiliently carried by said outside ymagnetic device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,758,723 5/1930 Thatcher 15-220.1 6,668,975 2/1954 Narajowski 15-220.1 2,700,171 1/1955 Wiest 15-220.1 3,208,090 9/1965 Roesel 15-2201 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,076,289 7/1967 Great Britain.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner LEON G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner 

